Part 3.

"Carter, my man, what the hell are you doing at three-thirty in the morning?" asked Dave as he entered the kitchen to find Carter sitting at the table, a cup of strong coffie on the table and his head in his hands.

"It's three-thirty?"

"Yup- wah, man you look like shit!"

"Thanks Dave you really know how to make a man feel good." said Carter standing up and stretching as Dave got himself a cup.

"Dave’s counseling, at you service." said Dave, sitting down at the table, trying to look as serious as he could at three-thirtyfive in the morning.

"Huh?"

"Like I just said man, you look like something the cow dragged in."

"So?"

"So that means there's something on your mind. Is it Work?"

"No."

"Is it Abby?"

"No, Dave, will you quit with the twenty questions?"

"Not until I get some beef man, all your giving me is scrambled eggs."

"Is it, you know..." asked Dave a naughty smile on his face.

"Who?"

"Well, YOU know!"

"Know WHAT, Dave?" asked Carter, getting annoyed.

"Is. It. Jing-mei??" said Dave as slowly as if Carter was only five or six years old.

"Why would you think that?" asked Carter, wondering where Dave was going with that question.

If he was to tell the truth, It would be a yes. However, Carter didn't want to let out that bit of information

"Because you came home from a date looking positively confused, you actually LET me into your apartment and here you are awake four hours before your shift."

"So?"

"So?!? Carter. Look. Will you just fucking tell me!" said Dave a loudly as he could without waking the neighbors.

"Dave, I don't know what to tell you." lied Carter, looking at the tiled kitchen floor. Funny. He never noticed the tiny coffie stain in the little corner by the stove.

"Man, if you don't wanna tell me, fine. But I’ll suss it out of Abby either way."

"What makes you think she'll tell you anything?" asked Carter looking up.

"Worth trying. Cool radio man.." said Dave as he had found a portable radio on the counter.

Turning on the radio station, a Valentines Day message read out:

"Remember folks, Valentines is on the way - if you want to get your loved one something special now's the time. Just call...." Carter reached over and turned it off.

"Shit man. Again, alone."

"Know what you mean." said John getting even more depressed.

"That's why you have to tell her."

"Huh?"

"Tell her you love her." said Dave logically.

"Tell whom?" asked Carter, utterly confused as to where Dave was getting at.

He hadn't told Dave about the kiss... did he? 'Man, I wish I was paying more attention as to what I was saying.'

"Deb, Jing-mei, Chen, chicky babe- what ever you want to call her Carter."

"How, how would you- you know?!?" exclaimed John. 'I did tell him! Now I am really a dick head. Shit!’

"Know? Know what Carter - ahhh see! I was right all along, you do have something fishy going on with Chen, and now your gonna explain...." said Dave, glad that his little trick of reverse physiology had worked.

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"Wow."

"Yeah. Now I really don't know what to do." said Carter starting blankly into his fourth cup of coffie.

"You have to talk to her, man. You know, ask her out."

"Who said I had to ask her out?"

"It's what's called tradition Carter." said Dave, a look on his face which said, 'Where have you been?'

"Huh? the last time I had a date, there was..." said Carter, confused. Since when were there rules?

"Carter my man, when was the last time you had a date?"

"Well, ah... "

"See? You'll just have to listen and use my wisdom on women wisely..."

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"Carter, where are we going?" asked Dave from the backseat of John's jeep on their way to County.

"I'm picking up Deb."

"Now your talking man! Do you want me to cover for you?" said Dave excitedly.

"What are you talking about Dave?"

"Well, your going to her apartment with that lousy excuse and so, your gonna need someone to cover up for you while you, you know!" At hearing this, Carter shook his head in disbelief and turned into the parking space ment for 'visitors'.

"Is that all you think about Dave?"

"Well...."

"That said it all Dave. Now are you gonna get her or will I?" asked Carter turning round to face Dave.

"Why? all you have to do is this....." and with that, Dave leaned over and punched the button on Carter's steering wheel labeled 'horn'.

"BEEP!! BEEP!!"

One of the windows on the fourth floor, pushed open, and Deb's face appeared.

"Be down in a sec!" she yelled down before closing the window.

"See how easy that was?"

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"Ok, I know what I have to do, just what Abby said." Deb advised herself as she paced the room like a caged bull while putting on her earrings.

"Act normal. It wasn't like we did it..."

Suddenly, another loud horn blasted the beginnings of 'Happy Birthday'.

"Coming, coming!" whispered Deb as she grabbed her bag and ran out the door.

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"Hey, sorry I took so long." Deb said as she approached the car and opening the front passenger door.

"Don't worry, you weren’t late. Dave just thought that your neighbors needed a wake up call."

At hearing that, Deb turned to the back east and saw Dave sitting quietly in a window seat.

"What's he doing here?"

"Don't ask. "

"Ok."

The car was filled with silence as John drove to County.

'Now what do I say?' thought Carter to himself. 'Dave is an asshole. He told me to act normal. How do I do that?'

"So, ah, do you want to do something together sometime this week?" asked Carter finally thinking of something to say.

"Yeah, what do you want to do?"

"I don’t know yet. We’ll figure out something."

"Can I come?" asked Dave suddenly poking his head between the drivers and passenger seats.

"No!" yelled Carter and Deb in usion as Carter pulled into the parking lot of County General.

"Ok, ok, I’m sorry." appologised Dave to himself as he suddenly realised that he was all alone in the car.

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Part 4

The table was rectangle. Again, half of it was set with more than enough silver ware but nobody to use it. Deb was once more seated somewhere in the middle, her brothers opposite and her grandfather at the head. The room was strangely silent, only the clinking of the occasional glassware. Suddenly, her father spoke up, directing his words to Deb who was moving her spoon around her soup with no actual motive. She was still dressed in her work clothes- a blue top and black slacks.

"I saw Louie today." he said. Deb, realizing that he was talking to her, put down her spoon and placed her hands in her lap.

"That’s nice."

"He’s looking well."

Once again the room lapsed into silence. Deb waited patiently for him to continue. Her brothers were strangely keeping their heads down, their faces practically into the soup. ‘I wonder what they know....’

"His father and I had a chat, and we made an agreement." his wife who was sitting beside him looked up, surprised that she had no knowledge of this ‘deal’.

"We have agreed to join our families together- with matrimony."

Deb went pale.

"There will be a dinner next Sunday, that’s if you consent, Jing-mei."

"What did Louie say?" asked Deb tonelessly, not looking her father in the face but rather at the pot plant behind him. ‘Please say that he said no.....’

"He was delighted and agreed." said her father, a smile on his face. "It’s up to you, Jing-mei. I know this is hard, but you must agree- if just to save the family name." he said, his face suddenly going hard and cold.

Deb was now as white as a sheet. She kept her head down and pressed her eyes together. Whispering softly the words that she knew she could never take back, Deb looked up. Her eye’s were red and she was shaking.

"Yes."

Mr Chen and his wife leaned forewords, trying to catch their daughters words.

"Yes." she repeated, her voice loud and clear before looking back down at her hands which were clammy and seemed as though they didn’t belong to her. ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’

"Well, that’s settled then." her Father said cheerfully, going back to his dinner.

Deb then looked up. Her face was not only white, but was now also wet with salty tears, eyes so red that not a spot of white could be seen, Deb pushed her chair back from the table.

"I gotta go to work." she managed to say before walking as fast as she could out of the room, her footsteps echoing loudly on the high ceilings.

The room was stunned. They had never seen her cry before. Deb’s mother got up and followed her daughter out of the room.

"That certainly went well." stated Lei cheerfully, looking around the table.

"Shut up." said his Father, clearly disturbed. Lei put his head down once more as the room relapsed into speechlessness.

"Jing-mei? Jing-mei ...." called her mother as she ran down the hall trying to stop Deb from leaving.

"What is it mummy?" she asked, finally turning round, her coat half way around her shoulders.

"Jing-mei, I’m sorry. I know you’ll hate it. Can’t you just be happy- for us?"

"How can I be happy? Louie is great- Ma, as a friend." said Deb, turning to leave. Her mother grabbed at her coat to hold her back.

"Is there someone else?" she asked gently.

"Well there won’t be now, will there." said Deb before opening the door and running out into the night, the snow chilling her even more as it fell from the sky. Her mother watched from the window, shaking her head worriedly.

"Yo Chen!" yelled Dave trying to catch up to where Deb was walking down the hall.

"What is it Dave?" she asked turning around.

"I was wondering if you want to go out tonight." said Dave putting on his irrisistable smile. Deb immediately took off her friendly demeanor and began to walk away.

"No, Dave how many times do I have to tell you?"

"Carter’s coming-"

"John? How did you get him to come with you?" asked Deb amased.

"Said you were coming...."

"Fine I’ll come, just for John and don’t you go around saying that it was your charm that won me over because it wasn’t." agreed Deb, finally turning around to face him before walking away.

"Be there at eight- meet us outside the ER!" yelled back Dave, Deb’s hand waving in acknowledgment as she disappeared into an exam room.

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"Hey Abby." said Deb as she walked into the drug lock-up to find the nurse looking for some equipment. "Want to go out tonight?"

"With who?" joked Abby.

"Me and-" said Deb, worried that if she let out too much information Abby would not agree.

"And who?"

"Dave and John."

"Dave? Oh no you must be kidding, why would you go out with a jerk like him?" said Abby, picking up two large bottles and some tubing. "Here hold this." she said, handing a bottle to Deb.

"Well, he conned John into coming by saying that I was-"

"Did it work?"

"Yeah and well, it wouldn’t be fair..."

"To whom?" asked Abby logically as she stopped walking and gave Deb her full attention.

"To John of course and if you didn’t come- poor Dave will be alone."

"Ha! and I feel so sorry for him." said Abby sarcastically, continuing on her way.

"I’ll be lonely- I’ll be the only female there."

"Carter can keep you company."

"But- please, Abby. It you hate it I’ll never ask you again...." said Deb, getting desperate as they had reached Abby’s final destination.

"Ok, ok but you owe me big Debora Chen." said Abby about to go into the exam room.

"Thank you, thankyou, you are the best, best friend I’ve ever had!"

"Don’t mention it." said Abby, already halfway into the room.

"Eight outside the ER- don’t be late!"

"I’ll think about it." said Abby finally walking into the room.

Deb smiled a triumphant smile to herself as she walked away.

*** Back to time. ***

"Dave where’s Deb, you said she was coming tonight." said Carter, as he logged out of the computer system.

"She’ll be here. Her shift finished at two."

"Oh."

"Your really looking forward to tonight arn’t ya?"

"Well...."

"It’s pouring outta your ears, Carter!" said Dave following him to the Lounge.

"So where exactly are we going Dave?"

"Ahh.... somewhere my Uncle owns-"

"Dave,"

"No, Carter let me explain. It’ll be free and we’ll get the best spot in the house."

"Why did I trust you?" muttered Carter under his breath as he grabbed his coat and walked out of the Lunge.

"My charm?" said Dave to himself before noticing that he was all alone.

Deb walked hurridly through the doors of the ER. Spotting Dave and Carter by the desk, she rubbed her eye’s once more and straightened her hair before approching admin. After her disasterous dinner at her parents where she barely ate anything, Deb had driven around the streets of Chicargo aimlessly, trying to calm herself down before she went out that night with Dave, Abby and more importantly, Carter.

"Are you guy’s ready yet?"

"See I told you that she would make it." wispered Dave in Carter’s ear as the three made it into the Lounge to wait for Abby.

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"Dave will you slow down?" asked Carter as Dave took a sharp turn to the left and almost caused his car to crash into a street lamp.

"Almost there." said Dave glancing into the rear view mirror.

"Where did you learn to drive?" asked Abby, holding on the the door handle for dear life as Dave screeched into a parking space infront of a crowded and very noisy club house.

"I’m not going in there." said Abby, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Won’t you at least give it a try? Were’re not staying in the main part of the club."

"So where are we going?" asked Carter curiously.

"Get out of the car and I’ll show you." said Dave flashing another one of his lady-killer smiles before throwing the keys to Carter and climbing out of the drivers side. "Great car Carter, really roars."

Carter looked at Deb and Abby and shrugged his shoulders before following Dave into the mad house. Abby looked at Deb.

"Are you ok?"

"If everyone would just stop asking me that I’d be just fine." she snapped back. "I’m sorry- I just had a tough time at my parents stupid dinner."

"Who else asked you?"

"Carter." said Deb turning her head to look outside the window.

"See, I told you he likes you." said Abby proudly.

"Yeah, well, it would never work out." said Deb as she got out of the jeep.

"What do you mean?" asked Abby, following behind her.

"Look, Abby, I just want to have a good night out and not have to explain anything, ok?" said Deb before opening the door to the club and gesturing for Abby to walk in before her.

"Ok. But-"

Deb had already gone inside, leaving Abby at the door to make her way past the bar of crazy drunks and disco dancers into a pair of double doors which Carter, Dave and Deb had just disappeared into.